Wills Restores Some Teaching Positions in 2014-15 Budget
Responding to criticisms from parents and teachers, Putnam Valley Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frances Wills is restoring some teaching positions she sought to cut in her proposed 2014-15 budget.
In her original $48,014,091 budget proposal, Wills sought a decrease in staff by the equivalent of 4.2 full-time positions due to lower enrollment. But as she noted during the March 20 board of education meeting, the staff reductions have been criticized by many in the district.
Wills she is seeking to restore .6 of an English language arts teaching position and .4 of a math teacher post.
Wills’ spending plan seeks a property tax increase of .76 percent and spending reduction of 1.76 percent.
At last week’s meeting district officials discussed such categories as special education, operations and maintenance and transportation.
Director of Pupil Personnel Services Natalie Doherty said $7.2 million is being proposed to be spent for special education in next year’s budget, which would be slightly less than the current year.
Patrick Bellino, supervisor of transportation, operations, and maintenance, said. next year’s proposed budget would keep the total staffing in his departments the same as the current school year. Bellino said some of his department’s initiatives that would be funded include a purchase of a geothermal heating manifold replacement and pumps that would go to the manifold at the middle school. The proposed operations and maintenance is $309,800, which would be a 4.4 percent increase over the current year, Bellino said.
Bellino is seeking $5,192, 139 for transportation next year, which would be 3.55 percent higher than this year.
